Sultan al-Atrash, (1891-1982) (Arabic:
سلطان الأطرش) Commonly known as
Sultan PashaPasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries...
al-Atrash (Arabic:
سلطان باشا الأطرش) was a prominent
ArabArab people or Arabs are an ethnic group whose members identify along linguistic, cultural or genealogical grounds...
DruzeThe Druze are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic and other philosophies, similar to other followers of Ismaili Shi'a...
leader, Syrian nationalist and Commander General of the Syrian Revolution (1925-1927). He fought against the
OttomansThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
,
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, and even against the
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
n government in its days of dictatorship. One of the most influential figures in Syrian and Druze history, he played a major role in deciding the destiny of Jabal al-Druze and of Syria in general.
Family
Sultan al-Atrash was born in Al-Qrayya, a village 20 km south of
SuwaydaAs Suwayda is a mainly Druze town located in southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan.It is the capital of Muhafazat as Suwayda, one of Syria's 14 governorates, bordering Jordan in the South and the governorates of Daraa in the West and Rif Dimashq in the North and East.-Demographics...
known for the famous Druze family of Al-Atrash, which had nominally governed the region since 1879. His father Zuqan led a fierce battle against the Ottomans near
Al-KefrAl-Kefr is a village in As-Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. It's located 8 km to the south-east of Sweida.It's famous for its forest and good wine, and it was the site of several important battles through the history of the area....
in 1910, where he faced the forces of Sami Pasha al-Farouqi. He was captured and later executed in 1911.
Role in the Arab revolt
Sami Pasha used military force and trickery and succeeded at last in occupying Jabal el Druze. He sent hundreds of young Druze to fight in the
BalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Sultan among them. However, during the first World War, the Ottomans left Jabal el Druze in peace as they feared rebellion. Sultan was then able to get in touch with Pan-Arab movements and especially with the
Arab RevoltThe Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein ibn Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :The rise of nationalism under the Ottoman Empire goes back to 1821...
in Hijaz. As the revolt started he raised the Arabic flag on the citadel of
SalkhadSalkhad a Syrian city in the As Suwayda governorate, southern Syria.It is the capital of Salkhad District, one of the governorate's three districts...
and on his own house.
When Arab forces reached
AqabaAqaba is a coastal town in the far south of Jordan. It is the capital of Aqaba Governorate. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. The town borders Eilat, Israel, and there is a border post where it is possible to cross between the two countries...
, he sent a thousand men to join the revolt. He joined them himself, with another 300 men, when they reached
BosraBosra is an ancient city administratively belonging to the Daraa Governorate in southern Syria...
. His forces were the first to enter
DamascusDamascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and its current population is estimated at about 1,669,000...
and raise the Arab flag on the government house on September 29, 1918.
Sultan was a good friend to the
HashemiteHashemite is the Latinate version of the and traditionally refers to those belonging to the Banu Hashim, or "clan of Hashim", a clan within the larger Quraish tribe...
Emir
FaisalFaisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi , was for a short time King of Greater Syria in 1920 and King of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
, leader of the Arab forces in the revolt, and was awarded the title of
EmirEmir , is a high title of nobility or office, used throughout the Arab World and historically in 19th-century Afghanistan and also in the medieval Muslim World...
and the rank of a
GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...
in the Syrian army, the equivalent of the title of
PashaPasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries...
. Faisal, later king of
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
, helped Sultan a lot during his years in exile.
The newly-independent kingdom of Syria didn't survive for long, as it was occupied by France after the
Battle of MaysalunThe Battle of Maysalun , also called The Battle of Maysalun Pass, took place between Syrian and French forces about 12 miles west of Damascus near the town of Maysalun on July 23, 1920.-Background:...
on July 24, 1920. Sultan was gathering his men to fight the French but the quick succession of events cut his efforts short, as French forces entered Damascus and the country was divided into five states,
Jabal el DruzeJabal al-Druze was an autonomous state in the French Mandate of Syria from 1921 to 1936, designed to function as a government for the local Druze population under French oversight.-Nomenclature:...
being one of them.
The Adham Khanjar incident
On July 7, 1922, French soldiers captured
Adham KhanjarAdham Khanjar is a Lebanese Shiite rebel who participated in an attempt to assassinate General Gouraud, the French High Commissioner in Syria and Lebanon.-Assassination Attempt:Khanjar joined a guerrilla band led by famous Syrian rebel Ahmed Mreywed...
, a
LebaneseLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
Shiite rebel who was seeking refuge at Sultan's house while he was away. Khanjar was wanted for attempting to assassinate General
GouraudHenri Joseph Eugène Gouraud was a French general, best known for his leadership of the French Fourth Army at the end of the World War I.-Early life:...
. Upon his arrival home, Sultan demanded the release of Khanjar, but the French refused. A few days later, Sultan and his men attacked a French
convoyA convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval convoys have been used for hundreds...
they thought to transport Khanjar, who was in fact sent to Damascus by airplane. The French responded by destroying his house and ordering his arrest. Sultan fled to
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
and subsequently launched raids against French posts. Ten months later, he returned, having been pardoned by the French.
The Syrian Revolution of 1925-1927
In 1925 Sultan Pasha al-Atrash led a revolt which broke out in the Druze Mountain and spread to engulf the whole of Syria and parts of
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon
[Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
. This is considered one of the most important revolutions against the
French mandateThe French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate created after the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire...
, as it encompassed the whole of Syria and witnessed fierce battles between rebel and French forces.
On August 23, 1925 Sultan Pasha al-Atrash officially declared revolution against France, and soon fighting erupted in
DamascusDamascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and its current population is estimated at about 1,669,000...
,
HomsHims Hims Hims is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Hims Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
and
HamaHama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. The city is the location of the historical city Hamath...
. Al-Atrash won several battles against the French at the beginning of revolution, notably the Battle of Al-Kabir on July 21, 1925, the Battle of Al-Mazra'a on August 2, 1925, and the battles of Salkhad, Almsifarh and Suwayda. After rebel victories against the French, France sent thousands of troops to Syria and Lebanon from Morocco and Senegal, equipped with modern weapons, compared to the few supplies of the rebels. This dramatically altered the results and allowed the French to regain many cities, although resistance lasted until the spring of 1927. The French sentenced Sultan al-Atrash to death, but he had escaped with the rebels to
TransjordanThe Emirate of Transjordan was a former Ottoman territory incorporated into the British Mandate of Palestine in 1921 as an autonomous political division under as-Sayyid Abdullah bin al-Husayn. This move was formalized by the addition of an August 1922 clause to the charter governing the Mandate...
and was eventually pardoned. He returned to Syria in 1937 after the signing of the
Syrian French TreatyThe Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence was a treaty negotiated between France and Syria to provide for Syrian independence from French authority, which had been imposed under a League of Nations Mandate.- Explanation :...
. He was met with a huge public reception.
Role after the revolution
Al-Atrash participated actively in the Independence Intifada in 1945, that led to Syrian independence. In 1948 he called for the establishment of a unified
Arab Liberation ArmyThe Arab Liberation Army was an army of volunteers from Arab countries led by Fawzi al-Qawuqji. It fought on the Arab side in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and was set up by the Arab League as a counter to the Arab High Committee's Holy War Army, though in fact the League and Arab governments...
of
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
, for which hundreds of young people had already volunteered and sent to participate in during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
During the reign of
Adib ShishakliAdib ibn Hasan Shishakli , born 1909, in Hamah, Syria, assassinated September 27, 1964 in Ceres, Brazil, was a Syrian military leader and President of Syria .- Background :...
, al-Atrash was often harassed because of his opposition to government policy. He left the Druze Mountain for Jordan in December 1954, and came back when
Al-Shishakli'sAdib ibn Hasan Shishakli , born 1909, in Hamah, Syria, assassinated September 27, 1964 in Ceres, Brazil, was a Syrian military leader and President of Syria .- Background :...
regime fell. Al-Atrash supported the
political unionThe United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a union between Egypt, and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961 when Syria seceded from the union...
of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
and Syria in 1958, and firmly opposed the process of separation in 1961. He is also known for his contributions to social life and development in the Druze Mountain.
Al-Atrash's popularity
Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, is one of the most popular of recently prominent leaders in Arab and Syrian history, especially among the Druze.
Many
statues-General Rules:#A person starts out as the "Curator" and stands at the end of a field. Everyone else playing stands at the far end...
of Al-Atrash exist in main squares on Druze Mountain, and his photos hang in many houses in the region. Al-Atrash is also prominent in local
folkloreFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
, including many poems and popular songs. For several reasons the Druze consider him a symbol of
patriotismPatriotism is love of and/or devotion to one's country. The word comes from the Greek patris, meaning fatherland. However, patriotism has had different meanings over time, and its meaning is highly dependent upon context, geography and philosophy....
,
courageCourage, also known as bravery, will, intrepidity, and loyalty, is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
and
secularismSecularism is the concept that government or other entities should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs.In one sense, secularism may assert the right to be free from religious rule and teachings, and freedom from the government imposition of religion upon the people, within a...
:
- Al-Atrash is known for his secularism when he raised the slogan "Religion is for God, nation is for all: (al deen le allah wa al watan le al jamee)" when he led the revolution against the French, which involved rebels belonging to many religions. His speeches and publications were entirely devoid of religious symbols.
- Al-Atrash strongly rejected the French offer of indepedence for the Druze Mountain. He demanded a national Syrian unity.
- He was known for simple living and humility.
- Al-Atrash refused to accept any political office after the independence of Syria in 1946.
During the period of Syrian-Egyptian unity, on a visit to the Suwayda province President
Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death in 1970. He led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which removed King Farouk I and heralded a new period of industrialization in Egypt, together with a profound advancement of Arab nationalism, including a short-lived...
honored Sultan Pasha al-Atrash by awarding him the highest medal of the
United Arab RepublicThe United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a union between Egypt, and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961 when Syria seceded from the union...
. In 1970, Syrian President
Hafez al-AssadHafez al-Assad was the president of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule stabilized and consolidated the power of the country's central government after decades of coups and counter-coups...
Honored Sultan Pasha al-Atrash for his historic role in the Syrian Revolution.
Death
Sultan Pasha al-Atrash died on March 26,1982 from a
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, is the interruption of blood supply to part of the heart, causing some heart cells to die...
.
His
funeralA funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honour. These customs vary widely between cultures, and...
was attended by more than a million people, and the President of Syrian Arab Republic
Hafez al-AssadHafez al-Assad was the president of Syria for three decades. Assad's rule stabilized and consolidated the power of the country's central government after decades of coups and counter-coups...
issued an individual letter mourning al-Atrash as the General Commander of the Syrian Revolution.